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Piero Piccioni

A sweet little island soundtrack from the great PieroPiccioni – scored in a style that has lots of musical watery touches! Flute is one of the main instruments here – either used as a lead solo instrument, or wrapped up next to the keyboards with a really cool underwater vibe – a lot like some of the best soundtrack work of Sven Libaek at the same time! And most cuts are very evocative, without the kind of too-modern instrumentation you might expect from the time – and instead just the right balance between woodwind and keyboards to really create some amazing moments. The 30 track CD is overstuffed with goodies – and is nearly 80 minutes in length! CD

One of the hippest Italian soundtracks of the 60s – and a motherlode of tracks by the great PieroPiccioni! The soundtrack is the source of the oft-compiled "Mr Dante Fontana", a nutty groover about the mod fashion scene in Italy – and it also features the famous tracks "Richmond Bridge" and "You Never Told Me" – both well-remembered tracks that have directed a number of people to discover Italian soundtrack gems over the years. Most of the music is by Piccioni and the wonderful vocal group I Cantori Moderni – but the set also features some work by Lydia Mac Donald, who's a very groovy singer. LP features the original 1966 album – with the tracks "Mr Dante Fontana", "Drag Beat", "You Never Told Me", "Babylon I'm Comin", "Richmond Bridge", "If Dreams Come True", and "This Is Life" – and also features 6 more bonus tracks in mono! LP, Vinyl record album

Definite demonic sounds from PieroPiccioni – one of the darkest soundtracks we've ever heard from the legendary Italian film composer – and a real standout from the rest of his work of the 60s! There's some very oddly-tuned instrumentation on the set – weird organ that's not entirely pipe organ, yet hardly Hammond either – often played in these long, twisted notes mixed with very offbeat and abstract percussion – all in ways that seem to reference the world of Xenakis and Stockhausen, yet which have a bit more of a cinematic focus here too. A few tunes are a bit more conventional, but still plenty darn tense – and titles include 14 tracks from the unreleased album, and 3 more long numbers from the film score! CD

Great 60s work from Italian soundtrack maestro PieroPiccioni – featuring a score for a doctor comedy that starred the great Alberto Soldi! The music is a wonderful blend of the lighter side of styles that Piccioni worked in – with a bit of jazz, a bit of bossa, and often some nice wordless vocals that drift across the mix with a really lovely feel! Edda Dell'Orso is the singer on those cuts – as you might guess – and the album also features great work from I Cantori Moderni, too. Titles include the tremendous groovers "Fortuna", "Samba Fortuna", and "Fortune Blues" – and other tracks include "Lady Love", "Slow Lady", "Final", "Sirenette", and "Esculapio", a nice horn-heavy theme tune! CD features lots of bonus tracks, too – the full original album, plus 10 more bonus numbers. CD

Cool organ lines, wonderful keyboards, and lots of other great bits – all stepping out in a double-length set that's completely sublime – and maybe some of the best work we've ever heard from the mighty PieroPiccioni! The score is as sexy as you'd guess from the cover – and definitely has those bossa and jazz elements from the Morricone generation of Italian soundtrack work, too – yet it also has these interesting offbeat touches that are pure Piccioni right from the start – that great ear for odd tunings and unusual phrases that really keeps things interesting all the way through, and which makes the record so sublime from both a musical perspective and a sonic one! 2CD set features over two hours of music from this rare score – a number of which feature haunting wordless vocals from the lovely Edda Dell'Orso. CD

A groovy French-Italian co-production from the 70s – one that's scored with a very whimsical score by PieroPiccioni! The record's got more of an Italian comedy feel than French work of the time – from a disco-inspired vocal theme at the start, to some sweet slinky numbers in the middle, and a few more playful melodies that kind of update an older Italian comedic mode! Piccioni uses a fair bit of then-contemporary instrumental elements – warmer production than before, a mix of keyboards and rhythms, and even a breathy female singer named Emelyne on a few tracks. CD features 19 tracks in all – and notes on the music and film in English and French! CD

The birth of Rome – set to a rich soundtrack from the great PieroPiccioni! The style here is much more dramatic than some of Piccioni's jazzier work of the time – large orchestrations that follow the same sort of pattern of other blood-and-sandals films that starred Steve Reeves – but with some deeper, darker passages that let us know that Piero's bringing his best to the process. The CD features the full album originally issued 30 years ago – plus lots of bonus tracks too – a whopping 33 titles that include "La Lupa", "I Gemelli", "Romolo E Remo", "Gara Di Cavalli", and "Morte Di Remo E Finale". CD

Sublime work from PieroPiccioni – a really Morricone-like soundtrack, and one that's filled with hauntingly beautiful melodies! There's a lightly gliding feel to the record that's really wonderful – light lines on organ, topped with wordless vocals from Edda Dell'Orso and I Cantori Moderni, alternating to suit the mood of the film, and really bringing out some of the most lovely qualities in Piccioni's music. The tunes unfold gently, like the petals of a flower in soft summer rains – and there's also an undercurrent of darkness at a few points, but one that hardly gets in the way of the breathy, bossa-styled tunes. Titles include "La Torre", "Da Soli In Vacanza", "Capriccio", "The Redcoat", "I Cavalli", and "Nero Piu Bianco". CD also features 11 more bonus tracks – really wonderful alternates of the main tunes, making for a huge 25 track package! CD

Early soundtrack work from the great PieroPiccioni – heard here on his famous score for the film Mafioso, plus some even cooler more obscure work! The set begins with some jazzy numbers for the film Il Mondo Di Notte Numero 2 – as well as a bold jazz cut from Adua E La Compagne – then moves into the rich score for Mafioso – which has a sardonic blend of darkness and comedy to really fit the narrative of the film. Jazzy elements still pervade in that store – and show up throughout the rest of the CD – which features work from Senilita, L'Imprevisto, Guendalina, and I Magiliari. The set then finishes with a full vocal album – PieroPiccioni Presenta Lydia MacDonald – a great jazz vocal album with English language lyrics by singer Lydia MacDonald! CD

One of the first great soundtracks we ever heard from PieroPiccioni – and still one of the best! Colpo Rovente has this really special sort of sound – jazzy, but not really jazz – bassy, but not really funky – and often done with spare, stark sounds – but never in a way that's too atonal or horror-based either! Piccioni brought a really special sort of genius to the record – a way of using each instrument with a very unusual sound or tuning – and isolating each element in just the right way, but with a different style than that used by Morricone at the time. Some tracks get nice and groovy, but lots more hang back in a style that's almost pensive – and titles include "Kintabu", "Blackflower", "Colpo Rovente", "Easy Dreamer", "Chinatown Drugs", and "LSD". CD features 12 bonus tracks – all unreleased alternates! LP, Vinyl record album

The film's got a very weird story – about the evolution of a dog into a human – and PieroPiccioni turns out to be a very good choice for the soundtrack! Initial moments are done in a style that's more serious than usual for Piccioni – some broader, more traditional elements that set a scene that demands that the narrative be taken seriously. But as things move on, little whimsical touches start creeping into the mix, to underscore the comedy in the story – little playful flourishes that almost take us back more to a 60s world of Italian film themes, although carried off here with a few 70s touches. Not nearly as wild as some of Piccioni's work, but still a great illustration of the master's many talents – packaged here in a special set that features a whopping 11 bonus tracks! CD

An excellent jazz soundtrack from PieroPiccioni – captured at a great early point in his film career, when he was still mixing in lots of elements from his work in jazz as well! The style here echoes some of the French jazz soundtracks of the new wave – and the tunes often sport breakout solos with plenty of fire – tenor, trumpet, and lots of piano – the latter of which has an especially great feel on some of the more mellow, moody tunes. Rhythms are great too – sometimes slow and loose, sometimes more vibrant and boppish – and together, the tunes work together to offer up a vibrant version of the movie that's almost as striking as the images on the screen! CD features a total of 26 tracks in all – over 70 minutes of music, including a number of unreleased tracks. CD

Lots of jazziness here – including tight piano, snapping snare, and moody vibes – all served up in one of the best early soundtracks we've heard from PieroPiccioni! The core of the record features the original EP release of the film score – some of the most tight, tuneful numbers that really showcase Piccioni's jazz potential – but even the rich array of bonus tracks (29 extra tunes!) still mostly retain the jazzy flourish of the originals, and offer up some sweet instrumental variations that are mighty nice! The whole thing stands strongly next to some of the best French or American jazz soundtracks of the period – and this reissue adds in so much extra music, the CD runs for almost 80 minutes in length. CD

Maestro is right – as PieroPiccioni is one of the greatest soundtrack composers ever! The set brings together rare and unreleased Piccioni tracks from the 60s and 70s, and goes out of its way to feature tunes that haven't been reissued on other recent compilations of his material. The feel is really wonderful – a mix of slow funky Euro tunes and more upbeat bossa jazz styled ones – and a few numbers feature vocals, laid out in a mod and swinging kind of way. Totally great, and a really important addition to any collection of Italian soundtracks – with a nice interview with Piccioni on the inside, too! Titles include "Balboa Spell", "Grand Central Rock Drum", "Once & Again", "Jet Set Trip", "Right Or Wrong", "Brasilian Suite", "Tam Tam Suite", "Rome Lullaby", "Lagoa Sketch", and "Nuovo Duke". CD

We haven't heard that many western soundtracks from PieroPiccioni over the years – and we've gotta admit that this one's pretty darn compelling! There's definitely a western flavor to the music, but the set also shows plenty traces of Piccioni's early 60s jazz scoring as well – not straight jazz, but with the kind of horn passages and larger arrangements we know from Piero's work of that nature – mixed with more brooding or dramatic passages to fit the western theme. Production often makes good use of echo – especially around the basslines – which helps the sound crescendo nicely, when needed! Titles include "Minnesota Sky", "Sidewinder", "Sombrero", "Long Neck", "Jackie", "Saddle Sack", and "River Bed". LP, Vinyl record album

Lovely early sounds from the great PieroPiccioni – a really masterfully-scored batch of music – rich in complex woodwind passages and evocative themes! Piccioni seems to borrow a bit from the style of Nino Rota – and some of the soundtrack composers who worked on Italian neo-realist films – and he blends these playful elements with darker, more abstract passages – all with a density that's beautiful, and a depth that goes way beyond some of his later, groovier material. The whole thing's a great surprise – a key early chapter for the maestro – and the CD adds in 13 bonus tracks, for over 70 minutes of music! CD

A greatly expanded version of this Italian horror soundtrack – with way more music than we've ever seen on any previous edition! PieroPiccioni did the soundtrack for Seven Murders For Scotland Yard – in a style that mixes more dramatic orchestrations with a few great mod touches on organ, flute, and percussion – which step out nicely on the groovier tracks, and bring in a nice note of action and surprise to a score that's mostly tense and poised for danger! These few light bits really offset things nicely – and create an unsettling feel in a work that's pretty darn dark overall, and which shows some of the most somber qualities we've ever heard in Piccioni's music. Titles include "Seven Murders", "Unknown Maniac", "Reminding The Ripper", "Suspecting", "Inspector Campbell", and "Professor Christie" – and the CD features a total of 22 tracks in all! CD

One of the first great soundtracks we ever heard from PieroPiccioni – and still one of the best! Colpo Rovente has this really special sort of sound – jazzy, but not really jazz – bassy, but not really funky – and often done with spare, stark sounds – but never in a way that's too atonal or horror-based either! Piccioni brought a really special sort of genius to the record – a way of using each instrument with a very unusual sound or tuning – and isolating each element in just the right way, but with a different style than that used by Morricone at the time. Some tracks get nice and groovy, but lots more hang back in a style that's almost pensive – and titles include "Kintabu", "Blackflower", "Colpo Rovente", "Easy Dreamer", "Chinatown Drugs", and "LSD". CD features 12 bonus tracks – all unreleased alternates! CD

A great old school soundtrack from the mighty PieroPiccioni – one that predates some of his stronger jazz use in film, but which still has a pretty swinging sound overall! The music often has a very playful feel – either light melodies on lean instrumentation, or some even better numbers with a fuller group that bring in a mixture of Latin or swinging touches! Some elements have a nice undercurrent of sentimentality – more 50s Italian cinema than you'd find in Piero's later work – but the quality is carried off with just the sort of whimsy we'd expect from the maestro. CD features 26 tracks in all. CD

Heavy fuzz with a good deal of funk as well – a very unique set from the Italian sound library scene – and one that comes across with the feel of some lost psych record from the underground! The album was produced by PieroPiccioni – and features soundtrack/sound library maestros Alessandro Alessandroni and Oronzo De Filippi, working as the pseudonymous Braen and Gisteri – in a batch of heavy drums and basslines, topped with lots of fuzzed up guitar – but all with a tightness that's a lot more forward-moving than the usual set of this nature! Things never get to overdone, but still go plenty far out – and titles include "Flying", "Imphormal", "Murder", "Gap", "New Experiences", "Fall Out", "Description", and "Obstinacy". CD

Heavy fuzz with a good deal of funk as well – a very unique set from the Italian sound library scene – and one that comes across with the feel of some lost psych record from the underground! The album was produced by PieroPiccioni – and features soundtrack/sound library maestros Alessandro Alessandroni and Oronzo De Filippi, working as the pseudonymous Braen and Gisteri – in a batch of heavy drums and basslines, topped with lots of fuzzed up guitar – but all with a tightness that's a lot more forward-moving than the usual set of this nature! Things never get to overdone, but still go plenty far out – and titles include "Flying", "Imphormal", "Murder", "Gap", "New Experiences", "Fall Out", "Description", and "Obstinacy". LP, Vinyl record album

A really surprising studio project from Italian soundtrack legend Fabio Frizzi – a set that has Frizzi himself on guitar and a bit of vocals, working with a small string group, and a bit of tenor sax! The music is mostly pulled from older film scores – penned by Frizzi and contemporaries like PieroPiccioni and Carlo Rustichelli – but there's also a few vocal tunes by Paul McCartney and Noel Gallagher – sung by Frizzi in this earthy voice to offset the mostly-instrumental modes of the record. The soundtrack numbers are our favorites – and are taken in these cool, intimate ways that are really nice – like a composer going back on his generation, and delivering things with a more personal vibe overall. Titles include "Fantozzi", "Bla Bla Bla", "Butta La Lunda", "La Marcia Di Esulapio", "Sette Note In Nero", "Baby Sequenza 2", "Junk", "If I Had A Gun", and "Ibo Lele". CD

A pair of spy spoof gems – back to back on a single CD! First up is Our Man Flint, which features excellent soundtrack work by Jerry Goldsmith – possibly his greatest ever! Jerry's usually a bit staid with some of his scores – but working here on the soundtrack to this James Coburn spy spoof film, he's truly fantastic! The approach mixes strings and bossa-inflected grooves with some spookier instrumental touches – either on electric guitar, sax, or a "tortured" Thomas organ and a Solovox – and the overall feel of the album is on a par with the best work of the sort by Lalo Schifrin or Hugo Montenegro! Titles include "Doing As The Romans Did", "All I Have To Do Is Take A Bite of Your Apple?", "Tell Me More About That Volcano", and "Our Man Flint". In Like Flint continues Jerry Goldsmith's great run of grooves for the Flint spy spoof films of the 60s – working in a style that's a lot more complex than Lalo Schifrin or John Barry, but still every bit as groovy! Goldsmith's got this excellent style of swirling together strings, instrumental solos, and lots of cool offbeat elements – all with a sound that's often jazzy, but pretty unusual too – maybe in the best territory of PieroPiccioni over on the Italian scene! Arrangements are by Marty Paich and Warren Barker – who bring their most playful modes to the album – and titles include the vocal numbers "Where The Bad Guys Are Gals" and "Your Zowie Face", plus "Ahh Yer Father's Bob-Lip", "Mince & Cook Until Tender", and "Lost In Space". CD

A very groovy soundtrack from Mario Nascimbene – and one that really shows how much more open-ended his style was than some of his 60s Italian contemporaries! At some moments, Nascimbene has a great ear for moody mellow styles that would be right in line with the best from PieroPiccioni or Bruno Nicolai – but at other times, he brings in some sentimental touches that links his music back to an older era of Italian film scores, while still keeping the instrumentation in the leaner styles of the 60s. Upbeat tracks appear here and there – accenting a few jazzier touches in the music – and instrumentation includes some haunting piano lines, and some great slow-moving organ bits too. Titles include "Le Cafard< 'Summit", "Per Due Parole D'Amore", and "Mots D'Amour". CD

A sublime second set of work from Orgasmo Sonore – even hipper than their first, and again a wonderful reworking of soundtrack modes from the Italian scene of the 70s! Compositions here are by Ennio Morricone, Stelvio Cipriani, PieroPiccioni, and others – but the group makes the music very much their own – by transforming the tunes with tighter, funkier instrumentation – almost giving the songs a small combo sort of feel, while still retaining all the majestic charm of the originals! The approach is mindblowing – easily one of the best contemporary experiments of this nature we've ever heard – and the record is pleasing both to ears that love vintage soundtracks, and to those that dig funky instrumentals too. Titles include "Too Risky A Day For A Regatta", "Incubi Ricorrenti", "Metropolis", "Summertime Bossa", "Volto Di Donna", "Pillage", "Les Dunes D'Ostende", "Un Ombra Nell'Ombra", "La Sconda Caccia", and "Pearls". CD

Rare work from composer Robby Poitevin – pulled from two groovy Italian films of the late 60s! Tecnica Di Un Omicidio is a great action score, put together with a heavy dose of jazz – great vibes, flute, and plenty of other horns – blasting out with a hip style over lots of tight percussion – almost in the manner of spy films from the time, but with a lot more complexity at points, almost the depths of a drama, without any of the sleepy moments. The film's represented by 12 tracks here, all of them pretty great, and pretty different from each other – a really fresh batch of music that includes "Alba A New York", "Central Station", "My Man", "L'Ultima Vittima", "Bassifondi", "Clint In Agguato", and "Tecnica Di Un Omicido". Quella Carogna Dell'Ispettore Sterling is a great score to a hip 60s crime thriller – served up with a mod mix of bossa nova, jazz, and some groovier bits – really great music that easily rivals the late 60s greatness of better-known Italian composers like Armando Trovajoli or PieroPiccioni! Some tunes are upbeat and driving – almost in a mod mode – while others have a dreamier style that makes cool use of organ and voice, the latter of which is handled by I Cantori Moderni on two tracks, and Gianfranca Montedoro on one more. There's an odd sort of feel to the music, in ways that have the same sort of charm as the great score for The Tenth Victim, especially in the use of organ. Titles include "Allucianzione", "One More Step", "Alba A San Francisco", "Tema Dell'Ispettore Sterling", and "Adesso Che Hai Vent'Anni". CD

Excellent funky and groovy tracks pulled from the catalog of the legendary Cinevox Records – home to some of Italy's greatest soundtrack work of the 60s and 70s! Sure, we've had some of the label's great stuff on single CDs – but this set pulls from a lot of soundtracks that haven't been reissued yet, and also includes a number of tracks that were never issued before at all! There's plenty of funky drums, fuzzy guitars, groovy organ, and lots of other nice bits in the set's 16 tracks – and the overall sound is a nice departure from some of the other Italian compilations. Titles include "Unknit" by Carlo Rustichelli, "2968" by Carlo Savina, "Up To Date" by Fred Bongusto, "5 Bambole Per La Luna D'Agosto" by Piero Umiliani, "Milano Rhythm & Blues" by Gianni Ferrio, "Serata Al Night" by Guido De Angelis, and "Il Dopolotta" by PieroPiccioni. CD

A really cool collection that's got way more to offer than you might guess from the Italo in the title – as the set's filled with obscure funk, jazz, and sound library gems from the 70s! Usually, we associate Italo with Italo Disco – that 80s version of club music that broke big around the world in many scenes. But the tracks here are sort of the "roots" of that version of Italo – the funky experiments of a generation before – which were often inspired by American jazz and soul of the time, but took things into a whole new dimension – thanks to the wide range of creative instrumentalists and unusual studios in Italy during the 70s! A few names are familiar here, and others are composers you might know from soundtracks – but together, the vibe is something else entirely – and something entirely great, thanks to wicked work from Big Bang/Arision Records, who put together the whole thing. Titles include "Aflogelia" by Narassa, "Open Space" by Piero Umiliani, "L'Eroe Di Plastica" by Tony Esposito, "Ore 24" by Alberto Baldan Bembo, "Pearls" by PieroPiccioni, "Five, Four, & Three" by Lee Konitz, "Lavoro Veloce" by Farlocco, "Louisville" by Made In USA, "Depressione" by Jazz Video, "Tip Cat" by Santucci Scoppa, and "Greenleaf Street" by Max Rocci & His Friends. CD

Sublime bossa groovers from Italy! The first volume of this series was one of our favorite compilations that year it was released – and this second volume is equally as great! Schema groover Gerardo Frisina serves up a hand-picked batch of 16 tunes, mostly classic numbers from the late 60s and early 70s, pulled from the ranks of Italian soundtrack, jazz, and easy listening albums – all with a flair for making the bossa even groovier than it already is! Electric keyboards abound – and the rhythms run from dreamy to driving to slightly funky, always at the right pace for the material, and always making the set dance with delight! Titles include "Incontro All'Aereoporto" by PieroPiccioni, "Allora, Il Treno" by Bruno Nicolai & Edda Dell'Orso, "Avances" by Gerardo Frisina, "Wind" by Red Redford Sound System One, "Bossalonga" by Mustang, "Unreality Landscape" by Angel Pocho Gatti, "Susan Theme" by Daniele Patucchi, "Per Lei" by Stefano Torossi, and "Colpa Tua" by Giancarlo Gazzani. LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing grooves galore – part of a landmark series that really helped folks around the globe get a better understanding of the greatness of the Italian soundtrack scene in the 60s – all the wonderful sounds that were crafted for low-budget crime, comedy, and horror films of the period! The sounds are as sexy as the image on the cover – and if you're just dipping into the wealth of wonderful Italian soundtrack music, this set's a great place to start – thanks to cuts that include "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" by Bruno Nicolai, "Love War Call" by PieroPiccioni, "A Doppla Faccia" by Nora Orlandi, "Shake Per Un Divorzio" by Fred Bongusto, "Mr Dante Fontana" by PieroPiccioni, "Bada Caterina" by Armando Trovajoli, "Easy Dreamer" by PieroPiccioni, "Sensi" by Luiz Bacalov, "London Streets" by Nico Fidenco', "Soho" by Nora Orlandi, and "Notti Caldi" by Perio Piccioni. CD

We don't know if this music actually "started" the Italian Lounge scene – because Italy's always been pretty darn loungey to us – but we can say that the package is a great batch of groovy soundtrack tunes, as sparkling musically as the cover is visually! The set pulls together 15 tracks from obscure 60s and 70s soundtracks – featuring work from some of Italy's hipper composers, and focusing on tunes of theirs with an upbeat, bouncy, mod 60s kind of approach! Titles include "Beirut Shake" by Luis Bacalov, "Love War Call" by PieroPiccioni, "Big Doll Shake" by Luis Bacalov, "Inchiesta (new edit)" by Bertio Pisano, "Party Mood" by Armando Trovajoli, and "Seven Times Seven" by The Casuals. CD

The first-ever volume of the now-legendary Easy Tempo series – a collection of soundtrack grooves that hipped us back to the wonders of the Italian scene of the 60s and 70s – and did so at a time when few folks had ever thought to reissue this music! Right from the start, this series set a whole new level for soundtrack appreciation – and the collection features an incredible range of tunes that run from jazzy, to groovy, to funky, with lots of mod spaces in between – all served up with great sound, and even more of a sense of focus than the original soundtracks! Titles include "La Gabbia" by Gianni Ferrio, "Blue Rhythm Festival" by PieroPiccioni, "Notte Al Grand Hotel" by Riz Ortolani, "One Fine Morning" by Augusto Martelli, "Mark Il Poliziotto" by Stelvio Ciprani, "Grigioperla" by Gianfranco Plenizio, "Serena E Lamuno" by Riz Ortolani, and "Ira Rhythm & Blues" by Gianni Ferrio. CD

One of our favorite volumes in this now-legendary series – a set of grooves that runs from 70s electric back to 60s groovy – with plenty of space in between! There's a number of cuts on here that feel like they were lifted from lost CTI sessions of the 70s, thanks to warm keyboards and spare, subtle beats – while others mix together mod 60s styles, and even bits of Latin and Brazilian influences! The track selection is sublime, and still one of the best illustrations of the genius of this period – with tracks that include "Diamond Bossa Nova" by Franceso De Masi, "Lady Magnolia" by Piero Umiliani, "Nago" by Luiz Bacalov, "Bob E Hellen" by Piero Umiliani, "North Pole Penguin" by PieroPiccioni, "Beryl's Tune No 2" by Agusto Martelli, "Flute Sequence" by Franco Micalizzi, "Danza Citar Free" by Piero Umiliani, "Honey Rhythm & Blutter" by The Green Future, "Esquetando Os Tambourinos E Cuica" by Sergio Nilo, and "Soul Samba" by Attilio Donadio. CD

The bikini beat is a great one here – no simple beach music classics, but a range of mod groovers from the classic years of the Italian soundtrack scene! This volume is heavy on electric elements – fuzzy guitars, keyboards, and more – all filtered nicely through a range of rhythms from the 60s and the 70s – bossa, jazzy, and funky – filled with amazing twists and turns throughout! The double-length collection is a treasure through and through – easily one of the greatest soundtrack sets we could have hoped for. Tracks include "Teresa L'Illusa" by Riz Ortolani, "Malizie Di Venere" by Gianpiero Reverberi, "Spy Chase" by Bruno Nicolai, "Airport Rock" by Barigozzi Group, "Shake 2000" by PieroPiccioni, "Amanda Blues" by Gianni Ferrio, "Un Detective" by Fred Bongusto, "Katmandu" by PieroPiccioni, "Theme" by Armando Trovajoli, and "La Bambolona" by Luis Bacalov. CD

One of the weirdest, wildest soundtracks we've heard from the Italian scene of the 60s – a score that has lots of cool electronic touches from Vittorio Gelmetti, who brings in some really moody moments at times! Also unusual is the use of a wordless female voice – not in a style that's as melodic as Edda Dell'Orso, but almost electronic in itself – which creates some almost-Eraserhead moments when mixed with the electronics! Yet other passages are jazzy, or more familiar – which makes the whole thing come across as this incredible pastiche of sounds that's quite unusual – on titles that include "Astrale", "Happy Surf", "La Favola", and "Nevrosi". Side two features "Il Surf Della Luna" in a suite – with passages by Giovanni Fusco, Piero Umiliani, PieroPiccioni, Gino Marinacci, and Roby Poitevin. LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever volume of the now-legendary Easy Tempo series – a collection of soundtrack grooves that hipped us back to the wonders of the Italian scene of the 60s and 70s – and did so at a time when few folks had ever thought to reissue this music! Right from the start, this series set a whole new level for soundtrack appreciation – and the collection features an incredible range of tunes that run from jazzy, to groovy, to funky, with lots of mod spaces in between – all served up with great sound, and even more of a sense of focus than the original soundtracks! Titles include "La Gabbia" by Gianni Ferrio, "Blue Rhythm Festival" by PieroPiccioni, "Notte Al Grand Hotel" by Riz Ortolani, "One Fine Morning" by Augusto Martelli, "Mark Il Poliziotto" by Stelvio Ciprani, "Grigioperla" by Gianfranco Plenizio, "Serena E Lamuno" by Riz Ortolani, and "Ira Rhythm & Blues" by Gianni Ferrio. CD

One of our favorite volumes in this now-legendary series – a set of grooves that runs from 70s electric back to 60s groovy – with plenty of space in between! There's a number of cuts on here that feel like they were lifted from lost CTI sessions of the 70s, thanks to warm keyboards and spare, subtle beats – while others mix together mod 60s styles, and even bits of Latin and Brazilian influences! The track selection is sublime, and still one of the best illustrations of the genius of this period – with tracks that include "Diamond Bossa Nova" by Franceso De Masi, "Lady Magnolia" by Piero Umiliani, "Nago" by Luiz Bacalov, "Bob E Hellen" by Piero Umiliani, "North Pole Penguin" by PieroPiccioni, "Beryl's Tune No 2" by Agusto Martelli, "Flute Sequence" by Franco Micalizzi, "Danza Citar Free" by Piero Umiliani, "Honey Rhythm & Blutter" by The Green Future, "Esquetando Os Tambourinos E Cuica" by Sergio Nilo, and "Soul Samba" by Attilio Donadio. CD

Soundtrack funk doesn't get any better than this – thanks to a head-expanding of tracks from the Italian scene of the 60s and 70s – served up with the usual ear for a great cut by the folks at Easy Tempo! The groove here is far from the "easy" you might expect – and most numbers have tight drums, funky basslines, and other heavy elements – all put together with an approach to the music that's far different than anything happening in the US at the time, especially in the way the instruments sound in the end – and in the way that the production techniques make them do really crazy things! Titles include "Parangua" by Luiz Bacalov, "Flirt a Rio" by Piero Umiliani, "Side Sleep" by Berto Pisano, "Little Shakie Girl" by Armando Trovajoli, "Tremendous Stars" by PieroPiccioni, "Under Drama" by Giancarlo Gazzani, "Realta No 5" by Stelvio Cipriani, "So" by Lara Saint Paul, "Israelites" by Capuano, and "Citta Viva" by Ennio Morricone. CD

The Easy Tempo groove is wider than ever here – still plenty funky, but also jazzy and groovy too – with some mod 60s influences filtering into the mix, and even a bit of vocals too! As always, the style is heavy on Italian soundtrack modes – that great blend of bossa, jazz, and other elements that graced so many cinematic excursions of the period – and which have been beautifully re-presented by Easy Tempo over the course of their excellent series. Set features titles that include "Sweden" by Tito Fontana, "Caccia Al Ladro" by Armando Trovajoli, "Tap 5" by Ettore Ballotta, "Notte In Allegria" by Piero Umiliani, "Golden Gate Bridge" by Riz Ortolani, "Gangster Song" by Piero Umiliani, "Ebony Ride" by PieroPiccioni, "Gordon Blues" by Francesco De Masi, "Concerto Blues" by Gianni Ferrio, and "Glad" by Lou Stein Trio. CD

The bikini beat is a great one here – no simple beach music classics, but a range of mod groovers from the classic years of the Italian soundtrack scene! This volume is heavy on electric elements – fuzzy guitars, keyboards, and more – all filtered nicely through a range of rhythms from the 60s and the 70s – bossa, jazzy, and funky – filled with amazing twists and turns throughout! The double-length collection is a treasure through and through – easily one of the greatest soundtrack sets we could have hoped for. Tracks include "Teresa L'Illusa" by Riz Ortolani, "Malizie Di Venere" by Gianpiero Reverberi, "Spy Chase" by Bruno Nicolai, "Airport Rock" by Barigozzi Group, "Shake 2000" by PieroPiccioni, "Amanda Blues" by Gianni Ferrio, "Un Detective" by Fred Bongusto, "Katmandu" by PieroPiccioni, "Theme" by Armando Trovajoli, and "La Bambolona" by Luis Bacalov. CD

This great series keeps on redefining itself! While previous volumes have focused on funky, jazzy, and Latiny cuts – this fab 8th volume features a beautiful blend of tracks with a spare easy feel, and an exploration into the Italian minimalist groove – that ethereal, almost otherwordly style heard on some of the dreamiest soundtracks by Ennio Morricone! There's a floating, lilting groove here that's as lovely as the lady on the cover – and the set's overflowing with a whopping 21 titles in all – including "Tema Di Barbara" by Alberto Baldan Bembo, "Bai Des Anges" by Walter Rizzati, "A Ciascuno Il Suo" by Luis Bacalov, "To Jean" by Berto Pisano, "I Tuoi Sospiri" by Bruno Nicolai, "Metropoli" by Gino Marinacci Ensemble, "La Famiglia Nicotera" by PieroPiccioni, "Running Fire" by Lou Stein, and "Tema B" by Paolo Vasile. CD

A Guido Crepax cover, and a batch of amazing soundtrack grooves – all wrapped up wonderfully as the 9th installment in the all-great Easy Tempo series! The sound here is superb – a blend of jazzy, bossa, and slightly funky numbers – all played with plenty of soul, and served up with a sound that easily shows why Italy was one of the hippest music scenes in the world at the end of the 60s. Instrumentation includes snakey sax, slinky keyboards, rumbling percussion, and more – all arranged with plenty of amazing twists and turns that go far beyond any expectations you might have from American cinema of the time! Highlights include a live version of PieroPiccioni's "Colpo Rovente"; work by the swinging vocal group I Cantori Moderni on both "La Ragazza Dalla Dalla Pelle Di Luna" by Piero Umiliani and "L'Uomo Dagli Occhi Di Ghiaccio" by Pepo De Luca & I Marc 4; a Gak Sato edit of "Death Dies" by Goblin; an extended take on "Dancing For You" by Armando Trovajoli; and the sweet cut "Hard Times" by Piero Umiliani. 20 tracks in all – and wonderful throughout! CD

Beautiful grooves from the Italian scene of the late 60s – definitely one of the lesser-known soundtracks of the time, but work we'd rank right up there with the best by PieroPiccioni or Armando Trovajoli! There's a fair bit of trippy sounds on the record – from fuzzy guitar to weirdly watery keyboards – and tunes move between funky "jerk" and "shake" numbers that almost have a sound library funk feel, to mellower, moodier ones that sometimes feature wordless vocals from the great Edda Dell'Orso! The sound is sublime throughout, and this package adds a lot of extra cuts that were not on the very short original album – making for a total of 20 tracks that include "Poemas", "Bossa Jaguar", "Shake Psycho", "Jerk Beat", "T'Amo", "Le Mani", and "All See Saw". LP, Vinyl record album

A really groovy little soundtrack – filled with sweet mod musical elements, including a fair bit of great organ and guitar! The organ is especially nice – used in that stretched-out, almost spooky way you'd hear on some of PieroPiccioni's best soundtracks of the time – still rooted in jazz, but quite different than American use of the instrument – and a great demonstration of the way Italian soundtrack maestros like Carlo Savina could really transform the sound of an instrument, and come up with all these great musical elements in the process! Most of the rhythms are nice and laidback – sexy, but not in a slinky sort of way – and the soundtrack is a real revelation that has us thinking of Savina a lot more highly than usual. Titles include "Esclavas", "Contest Jazz", "Down Left", "Influence", "Valzer Cecko", and "Organo Solo In Un Mattino Di Guerra". CD also features 10 more bonus tracks too – all previously unreleased! CD

Genius! Pure mad genius – and one of the best volumes in this always-great series! After 10 volumes, the folks at Easy Tempo have become incredibly well skilled at picking groovy soundtrack tunes – and this beautiful 20 track package is as much a delight for the ears as it is for the musically-driven mind. The range of grooves is incredible – with elements that include swinging Hammond organ, breezy wordless vocals, spare sax and reeds, cool vibes, and just about anything else the Italian soundtrack composers of the 60s and 70s could get their hands on! Titles include "Swing E Sesso" by Carlo Rustichelli, "On Ce Voit Ce Soir" by Philippe Sarde, "Allora Il Treno" by Bruno Nicolai, "Tough Guys" by Carlo Pes, "Face To Face" by Stelvio Cipriani, "L'Isola Misteriosa" by PieroPiccioni, "Mary's Theme" by Stelvio Cipriani, "Qualcosa Piu Grande Di Noi" by Armando Trovajoli, and "La Pupa Del Gangster" by Piero Umiliani. LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzed-out groovy 60s tunes – very mod, hip, and out of this world! These tasty little gems are pulled from obscure Italian soundtracks – very nicely collected in this fab package, with an ear-popping sound that includes great work on organ, guitars, electric harpsichord, and other instrumentation just right for coming up with a Blow Up party mood! Titles include "Discoteque Party" by Piero Umiliani, "Franco Nero Shake (new edit)" by Fred Bongusto, "Catherine Spaak Shake (new edit)" by Armando Trovajoli, "Easy Dreamer" by PieroPiccioni, "I Baronetti" by Alessandro Alessandroni, "Gaby Shake" by Nico Fidenco, and "Black Sheep Shake" by Luis Bacalov. CD

Tripped out psychedelia from the Italian cinema scene – great stuff from the late 60s through mid 70s – filled with percussion heavy mod rhythms, loads of leftfield oddball flourishes, and pulpy grooves galore! This set was compiled by Carlo Bagnolo and Claudio Fuiano who do a terrific job of assembling trippy, but never too wild stuff by some of the heavyweights of the era, along with some less familiar names – and the tunes are total gems! It's a mostly wordless batch, with some surprisingly funky bass and percussion, loungey horns, strings and flute, and loads of trippier elements at the fringes! Titles include "She's A Born Loser" by Phil Clinton & Peter Smith, "Bali" (new edit) and "Donna Piu'" by Giorgio Gaslini, "2968" by Carlo Savina, "Danza Primitiva" and "Cinque Bambole Rosa by Piero Umiliani, "Blue Rhythm Festival" (new edit) by PieroPiccioni, "Mood" by Augusto Martelli, "Fai Presto, Fai Presto" by Gianni Ferrio and more. 14 tracks in all – a number of which are on CD for the first time ever! CD